Episcopal Ordination Commemorative Issue Celebrating Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski, Bishop Christopher R. Cooke, & Bishop Efren V. Esmilla

5 Several Bishops Ordained in Solemn Pontifical Mass

8 Archbishop Lauds New Auxiliary Bishops

13 OUR ARCHDIOCESE: Statistical Overview

14 The Bishops of Philadelphia Over 200+ Years

15 A Look at a Bishop’s Regalia

17 Bishop Chylinski’s Shield Offers Nod to Faith, Seminary

19 On Bishop Cooke’s Shield, A Glimpse of Family History

21 Bishop Esmilla’s Shield Reflects His Heritage

23 For Bishop Chylinski, God’s Call to Serve the Human Family Came Via Music

27 In The Way of St. Andrew, Bishop Cooke Ready to Bring Others to Friendship with God

31 Bishop Esmilla’s Path from the Philippines to Philadelphia Paved by

37

Several Bishops Ordained in Solemn Pontifical Mass

By CatholicPhilly Staff

Three Philadelphia priests have become the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s newest Auxiliary Bishops.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez ordained Bishop Keith J. Chy-

linski, Bishop Christopher R. Cooke, and Bishop Efren V. Esmilla to the Episcopacy Thursday afternoon, March 7 in a filled-to-capacity Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Most Reverend John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, and Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, and former Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, were the Co-Consecrators. His Eminence, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, presented the Papal Bulls (official public decrees) proclaiming the new auxiliary bishops.

The role of an auxiliary bishop is to assist the diocesan bishop by sharing in his pastoral and administrative work and to act in his name. Like all bishops, auxiliaries are successors to the Apostles.

These bishops are the 28th, 29th, and 30th auxiliary bishops in the history of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

They will join Most Reverend John J. McIntyre, who has served in that capacity since 2010, and succeed recently retired Auxiliary Bishops Most Reverend Edward M. Deliman and Most Reverend Michael J. Fitzgerald, along with Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, who had served as an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia from 2009 until the summer of 2023 when he was appointed the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg by Pope Francis.

Above: Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski after his ordination March 7 in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Below, Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Cooke after his ordination March 7. (Sarah Webb)

Auxiliary Bishop Efren Esmilla after his ordination March 7.

‘Men of Deep Faith,

During the ordination rite, Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla lie congregation of the Cathedral sings the Litany of the Saints over them.

Above, Bishop Esmilla displays his Papal Bull during the Mass. Below, Archbishop Pérez hands Bishop Cooke his crosier for the first time. (Sarah Webb)

Great Humility’

on the floor before the altar while the capacity

While reciting a prayer, Archbishop Pérez pours the oil of sacred chrism on Bishop Chylinski’s head.

Archbishop Pérez places the episcopal ring on the bishop’s right hand.

Archbishop Pérez places a miter on Bishop Esmilla’s head for the first time.

Archbishop Lauds New Auxiliary Bishops

The following remarks were delivered by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez at a news conference Dec. 8 introducing the next Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia.

Good morning, everybody. Thank you for being here today on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

There is no greater day than the feast of the Blessed Mother to have such an incredible announcement. Our Blessed Mother is the patroness of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She’s consecrated, and we’re consecrated to the Immaculate Conception. So, this beautiful feast celebrating her purity, as a means to bring Christ into the world, is a very fitting time to share this great moment of joy.

Although we’re just approaching the second Sunday of Advent, I must say that Christmas has come early to the Church of Philadelphia, with gift number one, gift number two, and gift number three.

Very early this morning, at six o’clock our time, twelve o’clock Rome time, the Holy See announced that Pope Francis had given us three incredible, wonderful, rich gifts by appointing three new Auxiliary Bishops to serve God and his people here throughout the Philadelphia region. So, it is my great honor to introduce for the first time Bishop-elect Keith Chylinski, Bishop-elect Christopher Cooke, and Bishop-elect Efren Esmilla.

Since my arrival in Philadelphia — soon to be four years already, time flies, trust me, this moment will end, because time does fly — I knew that the church would be, the Church of Philadelphia, would be seeking Bishops to serve its people. And since I arrived, I have been spending a lot of time praying and hoping, along with my Auxiliary Bishops, for this day, for our new Auxiliary Bishops.

Since then, Bishop Edward Deliman is here, and Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, who is celebrating Mass and couldn’t be with us today, have been appointed Bishop Emeritus after reaching the age of retirement in the Church. But I have to tell you, they have not retired. These guys continue to do what they do. It’s really amazing and admirable that Bishop Fitzgerald and Bishop Deliman continue to do their Bishop things. Nothing really has changed for them and that’s a great blessing. And they will be our mentors.

As you all know, Bishop Senior was appointed the Bishop of Harrisburg this summer, and that left Bishop McIntyre as the only and last active Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia! He would call me three times a day to ask me, “Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard?” So I want to thank them, my brother Bishops who I’ve known for a long time, for all their work in the Church.

I want to acknowledge the presence of Archbishop Greene, a retired Apostolic Nuncio in the Church, who served around the world, but also a priest, like us, a Philly priest. And when that role ended for him, he came back home

to Philadelphia, and travels around the Archdiocese confirming our kids, and it’s wonderful. Archbishop, thank you for being here.

So a few short days ago, I received a call from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. I’ve received other calls from him and we now have a standing joke because usually he calls me and asks me if I’m alone, as he asked the three of you, “Are you alone?” So now oftentimes, I go right back to him and go “Are you alone?” But he asked you three if you were alone, didn’t he? And the rest was history. You got that call, that the Holy Father had chosen you to serve the Church as Bishops.

Bishop-elect Cooke said, upstairs in my office, “I applied to the Seminary, but I didn’t apply for this.” No, you don’t apply for this! And that actually is a great source of consolation. That none of you did anything to be sitting here this morning. But the Church, in her generosity, guided by the Spirit, chose you. So let that be a consolation and a source of strength in your heart.

The day the Nuncio told me that everything that I hoped for was being granted,

that Pope Francis was appointing these three new Auxiliary Bishops for Philadelphia, all at once, and that all three of them, who have spent their life and their priesthood serving here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, all three of them alumni of our seminary — two of them assigned to the seminary. What a great joy that day was! What an incredible joy.

My ministry as Archbishop actually would be impossible without the dedicated service of Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia, the retired Archbishops that are here with us, Archbishop Chaput, Archbishop Greene, Archbishop Adams. We have Bishop Martino, we have our own new Episcopal Conference here in Philadelphia. We are so incredibly blessed. And of course, the members of my Senior Staff.

I’m deeply grateful that they share so much

of the work of the Church of Philadelphia, in such an unselfish way every single day. That’s especially true here. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a large, vibrant, and richly diverse Church, and no one person can do this work alone. A lot of help is needed everyday. Having a full compliment of Auxiliary Bishops is essential for a Church of our size and magnitude.

Like every other Bishop, they [the Auxiliary Bishops] are successors now of the Apostles. And their apostolic presence and episcopal charism, nourishes the Church here in Philadelphia in a very unique way. Their presence is the Archbishop’s presence, and their work is the Archbishop’s work. I can’t say much about the details of what goes into choosing a Bishop, or how the process unfolds, but I must say that these three men were enthusiastically recommended. They’re held in great esteem with the

priests, deacons, and lay faithful in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. At the end, it’s the Spirit guiding the Holy Father. And we trust that the Holy Spirit knows what the Holy Spirit is doing. And we agree! We agree and we are joyful that the Holy Father has appointed you.

I’ve known and worked with these new Bishops for many years. They are men of great faith, of great humility, of great pastoral and administrative experience. And they have zealous hearts. Zealous hearts to serve as Missionary Disciples for Jesus Christ.

When I spoke to Bishop-elect Esmilla and he told me the Nuncio called I said, “I know” and asked you [Bishop-elect Esmilla] if you were alone, and then kind of holding onto my chair I said “Well, what did you say?”

Continued on page 11

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez introduces the Bishop-Elects at a morning news conference Dec. 8 at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Philadelphia. (Sarah Webb)

Heartfelt best wishes are extended to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla. May your tenure in serving the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia be marked by fulfillment and divine guidance.

The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP) is an independent, nonprofit community foundation committed to growing philanthropy according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

‘We Are Blessed By These Three Gifts’

Continued from page 9

And what immediately came out of his mouth was “I’m here to serve.” That’s what’s in the hearts of all three of them, because that has marked their priesthood.

I’ve witnessed the transformational impact of their priestly ministry here in Philadelphia, among many different people. So we are abundantly blessed by these three gifts.

I want to thank, of course, the Divine Providence of the Holy Spirit that has guided this process, and thank Pope Francis for taking care of the pastoral needs of the Church of Philadelphia and appointing these three wonderful men.

I want to personally also thank His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre who has been invaluable in helping me and helping this process, and supporting the three of you, and promoting your cause, so to speak. I’ve been in contact with the Cardinal, who was just made a Cardinal in July, regularly and he has been a great supporter of the Church of Philadelphia and a supporter of the three of you. So I want to thank His Eminence

for all his help in making this happen today.

The Episcopal Ordination of these three men will be March 7, 2024 in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where the three of them were ordained priests.

On that day, you will hit the marble again. You hit the marble at least once when you were ordained priests there, and maybe that day [priestly ordination], you thought that was the last time that was going to happen. But that wasn’t the case.

So once again, you will be called that day, to lay down your life before the Lord and the Church, as the Church then asks you to rise, as Bishops for the Church of Philadelphia, and for the Church worldwide. You will learn very quickly that your work can not be accomplished without the grace of God and without a lot of prayer.

So I ask that everyone join me in praying to the Holy Spirit that He will strengthen these new Bishops as successors of the

Apostles as they prepare to embrace this role in serving the Church and the world.

The Lord will place around you, as he has me, incredible, wonderful people to help you and guide you and accompany you in your journey.

I’d like to finish with some words from Pope Francis and let these words speak to your heart:

“We are Bishops of the church. Shepherds, appointed by God, to feed his flock. Our greatest joy is to be Shepherds, and only Shepherds. Pastors with undivided hearts, and selfless devotion. We need to preserve this joy, and never let ourselves be robbed of it. The heart of our identity is to be sought in constant prayer in preaching and in shepherding the flock entrusted to our care. Be pastors close to people, pastors who are neighbors and are servants. Let this closeness be expressed in a special way towards your priests. Support them, so that they can continue to serve Christ, with an undivided heart. For this alone can bring fulfillment to ministers of Christ.”

America’s First Catholic Schools

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Secondary Schools and Schools of Special Education rejoice and celebrate Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on their appointments as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Archbishop Carroll Archbishop Ryan

Archbishop Wood Bishop Shanahan

Cardinal O’Hara

Conwell-Egan

Father Judge

Lansdale Catholic

Little Flower

Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast

Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti

Pope John Paul II

Roman Catholic

Saint Hubert

West Catholic

Saint Lucy Saint Katherine Our Lady of Confidence

www.aopcatholicschools.org

OUR ARCHDIOCESE: Statistical Overview

HISTORY

Diocese established by Pope Pius VII in 1808. Solemnly consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on October 15, 1873. Raised to an Archdiocese by Pope Pius IX on February 12, 1875. Solemnly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady Fatima, May 23, 1952.

When founded in 1808, the geographical area of the Diocese of Philadelphia included all of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the southern half of New Jersey. Eleven dioceses now serve this area. In Pennsylvania there are eight dioceses: the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Erie, Scranton, Harrisburg, Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg, and Allentown.

GEOGRAPHY

Area: 2,202 square miles, consisting of the five counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

AT A GLANCE

¢ Total Catholic Population 1,546,350

¢ Sixth largest Catholic Diocese in the country by Catholic population

¢ 214 parishes

¢ 15 Archdiocesan High Schools

¢ 102 Parish and Regional Elementary Schools

¢ 3 Schools of Special Education

The Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia

Bishop Edmond Prendergast, 1897-1911; Archbishop of Philadelphia, 1911-1918, died 1918.

Bishop John J. McCort, 1912-1920; Bishop of AltoonaJohnstown, 1920-1936, died 1936.

Bishop Michael J. Crane, 1921-1928; died 1928.

Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara, 1929-1935; later Bishop and Archbishop of Savanna, apostolic nuncio to Ireland, apostolic delegate to Great Britain, died 1963.

Bishop Hugh L. Lamb, 1936-1951; Bishop of Greensburg, 1951-1959, died 1959.

Bishop J. Carroll McCormick, 1947-1960, Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown, 1960-1966, Bishop of Scranton, 19661983, died 1996.

Bishop Joseph McShea, 1952-1961; Bishop of Allentown, 1961-1983, died 1991.

Bishop Cletus Benjamin, 1960-1961; died 1961.

Bishop Francis J. Furey, 1960-1963; Coadjutor Bishop of San Diego, 1963-1966, Bishop of San Diego, 1966-1969, Archbishop of San Antonio, 1969-1979, died 1979.

Bishop Gerald V. McDevitt, 1962-1980; died 1980.

Bishop John J. Graham, 1964-1988; died 2000

Bishop Thomas Welsh, 1970-1974; Bishop of Arlington, 1974-1983, Bishop of Allentown, 1983-1997; died 2009.

Bishop Martin N. Lohmuller, 1970-1994; died 2017.

Bishop Edward T. Hughes, 1976-1987; Bishop of Metuchen, 1987-1997, died 2012.

Bishop Louis A. DeSimone, 1981-1997; died 2018.

Bishop Francis B. Schulte, 1981-1985; Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, 1985-1988; Archbishop of New Orleans, 1989-2002, died 2016.

Bishop Edward P. Cullen, 1994-1998; Bishop of Allentown, 1998-2009, died 2023

Bishop Robert P. Maginnis, 1996-2010; died 2022.

Bishop Joseph F. Martino, 1996-2003; Bishop of Scranton, 2003-2009, retired.

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, 2002-2006; Bishop of Raleigh, 2006-2016; Bishop of Arlington, 2016-present.

Bishop Joseph R. Cistone, 2004-2009; Bishop of Saginaw, 2009-2018; died 2018.

Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, 2004-2010; Bishop of Harrisburg, 2010-2013, died 2013.

Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, 2006-2014, Bishop of Toledo, 2014-present.

Bishop Timothy C. Senior, 2009-2023, Bishop of Harrisburg 2023-present.

Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald, 2010-2023; retired. Bishop John J. McIntyre, 2010-present.

Bishop Edward M. Deliman, 2016-2022; retired.

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski, 2024-present.

Bishop Christopher R. Cooke, 2024-present.

Bishop Efren V. Esmilla, 2024-present.

A Look at a Bishop’s Regalia

At a bishop’s ordination Mass he is presented with three insignia of his office: the episcopal ring, crosier, and miter. Other signs of the bishop’s office are the zucchetto and the pectoral cross.

The Ring

The ring is always worn on the ring finger of the bishop’s right hand. It is the symbol of fidelity to the nuptial bond he has with the Church.

During the ordination, Bishops Chylinski Cooke, and Esmilla were presented the rings with these words: “Receive this ring, the seal of your fidelity: adorned with undefiled faith, preserve unblemished the bride of God, the Holy Church.”

The Crosier

The crosier — or pastoral staff — is held in the left hand. A bishop carries it at liturgies he celebrates in his diocese.

During the ordination, Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla received the crosier with these words: “Receive the crozier, the sign of your pastoral office: keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishop to govern the Church of God.”

The Zucchetto

The zucchetto is a round, silk skullcap worn by Catholic prelates. A bishop’s zucchetto is fuschia, a cardinal’s is red, and the pope’s is white.

The Miter

The miter is the liturgical headpiece worn by the bishop. Two bands called “lappers” hang from the back down onto the shoulders maintaining a connection with the miter’s band around the head.

During the ordination, the miters were placed on Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla’s heads with these words: “Receive the miter, and may the splendor of holiness shine forth in you, so that when the chief shepherd appears you may deserve to receive from him an unfading crown of glory.”

The Pectoral Cross

The pectoral cross is worn over the mozzetta when the bishop is in choir dress. When the bishop wears a suit, the cross is usually placed in the jacket pocket with the chain showing.

Bishop Chylinski’s Shield Offers Nod to Faith, Seminary

The “heraldic achievement,” or coat of arms, of a bishop reflects his life and times through symbols both ancient and modern.

Per fess azure and per pale gules and vert, at the center point the Sacred Heart between four Crosses pattée all Or. ***

In designing the shield— the central element in what is formally called the heraldic achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.

The symbolism of Bishop Chylinski’s coat of arms begins with the colors (tinctures) in which the background (the field ) is painted. The shield is divided into three sections, painted blue (azure), red ( gules) and green (vert). The same division of the shield appears in the coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, the archdiocesan seminary founded in Philadelphia in 1832. Bishop Chylinski is an alumnus of Saint

Charles Borromeo, and at the time of his appointment as auxiliary bishop, was in his tenth year of service on its faculty, and his second year as Rector.

Bishop Chylinski also intends the three-part division of the shield to recall the Holy Family of Jesus (red), Mary (blue) and Joseph (green.)

At the center of the shield appears a representation of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, painted gold (Or). “The priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus,” wrote Saint John Marie Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, and this sentiment has guided Bishop Chylinski in his priesthood and in his work forming seminarians as future priests. It is also reflected in the motto he has chosen to accompany the coat of arms: Dabo vobis cor novum, “I will give you a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26).

The image of the Heart of Christ is surrounded by four crosses pattée, sometimes referred to as Maltese crosses. The coat of arms traditionally born by the Chylinski family in Poland has one of these crosses, as well as a horseshoe, in gold.

Four of them are used here; in conjunction with the wound-

St. I saac Jogues Parish in Wayne, PA congratulates and offers prayerful best wishes to Auxiliary Bishops

ed Sacred Heart, they recall the stigmata, the wounds in Christ’s hands and feet. In his ministry as a counselor (he earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, now Divine Mercy University); as national chaplain of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (2018-22); as director of counseling services for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary; and as a member of the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing, he desires to keep in view the wounds of the Savior, for “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The crosses also call to mind Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, the twentieth-century Italian Capuchin friar and priest who bore the wounds of Christ in his body. Bishop Chylinski has long been devoted to Saint Pio, and entrusted his vocation to the saint’s intercession many years ago.

The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. Bishop Chylinski has placed a blue gem at the center of the Cross as a trib-

ute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly under her title of The Immaculate Conception. Bishop Chylinski’s appointment as an auxiliary bishop was published on her solemn feast day, December 8, 2023.

He has also placed a scallop shell at the node where the Cross meets the pole, to allude to Saint James the Greater. The Bishop’s middle name is James, and in 2017, on the tenth anniversary of his priestly ordination, Bishop Chylinski walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route that stretches from the border with

France across northern Spain, and terminates at the shrine of Saint James the Greater (Santiago in Spanish) near the northwest Spanish coast. Medieval pilgrims began the tradition of taking a scallop shell from the beaches near the shrine and affixing it to their cloaks or walking sticks to show that they had completed the pilgrimage.

The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.

and Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Newtown Saint Andrew Catholic Church 8 1 S wamp R o ad , N e wt o w n, P A 1 8 9 4 0 http://www.standrewnewtown.com (2 15 ) 9 6 8 - 2262 | Msgr. Michael C. Picard, Pastor

Monsignor on your appointment as

of prayers to Bishops Episcopal Ordination | CatholicPhilly • 17

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, and the entire Villanova Community

congratulate and offer their prayerful best wishes to Bishops

Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on their appointments as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

On Bishop Cooke’s Shield, A Glimpse of Family History

The “heraldic achievement,” or coat of arms, of a bishop reflects his life and times through symbols both ancient and modern.

Azure, a saltire gules semy of mascles conjoined Or, oriented in the direction of the saltire, between in chief a mullet argent and in base a ducal crown Or.

In designing the shield— the central element in what is formally called the heraldic achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.

The ordinary or main charge on Bishop Cooke’s shield is an X-shape, known as a saltire. It is often associated with Saint Andrew the Apostle, because the traditional accounts of the saint’s martyrdom relate that he was crucified stretched on an X-shaped wooden cross.

A pivotal point in Bishop Cooke’s spiritual life was a thirty-day retreat he made following

the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, during which his meditations often focused on the role of Saint Andrew as related in the Gospel of John. Although Andrew was himself called first by the Lord, he immediately went to find his brother, Simon Peter, and led him to Jesus. Bishop Cooke sees in this a model of missionary discipleship, in which one’s own relationship with the Lord inspires and impels one to lead others to Him. This commitment to missionary discipleship is reflected also in the motto that Bishop Cooke has placed below the shield, Invenimus Messiam, which are the words of Saint Andrew to his brother: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).

The unique coloration of the saltire is an allusion to the Bishop’s family name. Cooke is an Anglicization of the Bishop’s paternal grandfather’s Polish surname, Kucharski, from the Polish noun kucharz, cook. Gold mascles, open diamond-like shapes, on a background of red ( gules) create a brick-like pattern reminiscent of an oven at full heat – alluding both to the workplace of the cook, and the

burning zeal of a disciple filled with the Holy Spirit.

Smaller charges on the shield refer to aspects of the Bishop’s priestly preparation, life and ministry. At the top of the shield (in chief ) appears a five-pointed star painted white (a mullet argent). This symbol is used frequently in heraldry to represent the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in fact the Bishop’s home Archdiocese of Philadelphia includes a star in the same place and coloration in its coat of arms.

At the bottom of the shield (in base) is a gold crown in the form of an open ring of fleursde-lis. Such a crown appears in the family coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo (1538 –1584). A Cardinal of the Church and the Archbishop of Milan, Saint Charles was a member of one of the most ancient and wealthy noble families in Lombardy, yet on his coat of arms was the single word, humilitas, “humility,” ensigned with this crown. This charge has a prominent place on the coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, the archdiocesan seminary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bishop Cooke

is an alumnus of Saint Charles, and has served on its faculty for many years, as director of the Spirituality Year program from 2013 to 2021, and since then as Dean of Men for the Theological Seminary.

The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. The galero or

“pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.

Bishop Timothy C. Senior, together with the clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Harrisburg, offer our congratulations and prayerful best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla.

May the Lord bless your service to His people in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Ad multos annos!

Bishop Esmilla’s Shield Reflects His Heritage

The “heraldic achievement,” or coat of arms, of a bishop reflects his life and times through symbols both ancient and modern.

Per fess argent and per pale azure and gules, in chief a raven volant holding in the beak a pomegranate and in the feet a flaying knife, all proper, in dexter base a mullet and in sinister base a representation of “The Liberty Bell,” Or ***

In designing the shield— the central element in what is formally called the heraldic achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.

Bishop Esmilla’s coat of arms reflects his heritage by being divided into sections of red ( gules), white (argent) and blue (azure). Along with gold (Or), these are the colors of the flag of The Philippines, where Bishop Esmilla was born, and of the flag of the United States of America, where he was ordained deacon, priest and, now, bishop.

At the top of the shield (in chief ) appears a raven in flight (volant). This alludes to the Diocese of San Pablo, in the province of Laguna, The Philippines, where Bishop Esmilla was born and grew up. The diocese is named for Saint Paul the First Hermit, and its coat of arms includes a raven with a loaf of bread in its beak, alluding to a miraculous event in the life of Saint Paul.

In Bishop Esmilla’s coat of arms, the raven’s beak holds a pomegranate. This fruit is typically depicted bursting open and displaying its many seeds, symbolizing the Passion of the Lord. As Saint Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “It is as if God the Father sent upon the earth a purse full of his mercy. The purse was burst open during the Lord’s passion to pour forth its hidden contents – the price of our redemption. It was only a small purse, but it was very full” (First Sermon on the Epiphany of the Lord ). It also alludes to the Bishop’s surname, which derives from the Spanish word semilla, or “seed.”

In its feet the raven holds a flaying knife, a traditional symbol of the apostle Saint Bartholomew. The story of the

passion of that saint says that, among his tortures, his skin was flayed from his body while he was alive. The knife alludes here to the Bishop’s childhood parish, Saint Bartholomew in Nagcarlan, in the province of Laguna.

To the bottom left (in dexter base), the shield is charged with a five-pointed star (a mullet) painted gold. This is meant to allude to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and particularly her Immaculate Conception. The primary patroness of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and the archdiocesan coat of arms also has a star on a blue field, although in its case the star is painted white.

On the other side (in sinister base) is a depiction of the “Liberty Bell,” one of the most recognizable historical artifacts of the American Revolution, which is prominently housed and celebrated in the City of Philadelphia. Shortly after his ordination as a priest in 1993, Bishop Esmilla founded a prayer group for the Filipino community in Philadelphia. Called FIAT, for Filipinos In America Today, the group’s logo has the Liberty Bell as its centerpiece.

Fiat also refers to the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary in response to the Angel Gabriel at the moment of the Annunciation: Ecce ancilla Domini. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). The Bishop has chosen a motto for the coat of arms that expresses a similar sentiment: Sicut qui ministrat. It is also taken from the Gospel of Luke, this time from the words of the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper,

when he told his apostles, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.

“A Tradition of Excellence for the Leaders of Tomorrow.”

Archbishop Wood High School extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

655 York Road Warminster, PA 18974 www.archwood.org

Congratulations to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Our Lady of Grace Parish (Penndel) extends Our Lady of Grace Parish (Penndel) extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

For Bishop Chylinski, God’s Call to Serve the Human Family Came Via Music

As a young man, Bishop Keith Chylinski focused on a music ministry career, but that quiet call to the priesthood persisted.

By Matthew Gambino

Like many kids, Keith Chylinksi took piano lessons when he was a boy beginning at age 5. As he got older, the lessons fell away and the home piano stood mostly as a piece of furniture.

His mother, Kelly, knew he had talent, but perhaps needed some inspiration. So she just happened to have an extra ticket available to see mega pop star Billy Joel – the “piano man” –and asked her son, a sophomore in high school, to attend the concert in Philadelphia with her.

It made a big impact on the young man, so much that he was inspired to begin taking lessons again. In turn, that led to him studying piano at Temple University’s Boyer School of Music.

While there, he also discovered his vocation to the priesthood, and he was ordained a priest for the archdiocese in 2007. That priestly calling was taken to the next level on March 7 when he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.

Was the concert a coincidence? Not likely, according to the bishop.

His mother was “the most sociable person, and she wouldn’t have had an extra ticket to the concert, with all her friends. I think it was her sneaky way of getting me back into playing the piano,” he said.

The 52-year-old was born in Schenectady, New York to his parents Edmund and Kelly and raised with his brother Adam and sister Erin. The family moved to Berwyn, Pennsylvania when Keith was 14, and he attended Conestoga High School.

Following graduation, he began rigorous piano study at Tem-

ple University. There that he also discovered that God had given him a talent for song.

He began studying choral arts, and for the first time was exposed to Latin and what he called the “beautiful choral tradition” of the Catholic Church. In fact, a year later he joined a Temple choir in a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem Mass” at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music.

Like many young men and women of college age, the practice of his Catholic faith was not a priority. But that would soon change. The words and music of sacred song opened a doorway in his heart, and it was art of another kind that threw the door wide open.

During his freshman year at Temple, he had what he called a “spiritual awakening.” The movie “Jesus of Nazareth” was broadcast on television and it had a profound effect on him.

“Something drew me in. My faith came alive, and I wanted to go to Mass,” Bishop Chylinski said.

So, he became active at his home parish, Our Lady of the Assumption in Strafford. He began to volunteer in the parish’s music ministry, among the youth, in parish religious education, and sacramental preparation for those studying in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

“I was like a sponge,” he said. “I had the basics, but I was learning, talking to people, and growing in my faith.”

During his next year at Temple, while studying and continuing to serve at his parish, a parishioner asked if he ever thought about becoming a priest. No, he responded, he had never thought about it.

The question hovered in his mind like a challenge. “I felt like God was talking to me. It scared me and intrigued me at the same time,” Bishop Chylinski said.

He spoke with the archdiocesan vocations director, visited St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and even spent a weekend visit there, and continued to pray in discernment.

As his years at Temple progressed, he faced a choice of graduating from the university or entering the seminary.

He decided against the latter because “something was holding me back,” he said.

Instead after grad-

uation he placed his talents in the service of the church as he began working as the director of music at Corpus Christi Parish in Lansdale.

The pastor at the time was Msgr. Thomas Flanigan. As a former vice-rector of the seminary and an experienced pastor, he was a mentor figure for newly ordained priests assigned to the sprawling Montgomery County parish.

For six years he observed the pastor and a string of young priests at Corpus Christi during their first ministerial assignments, all of them were near his own age.

“All of them contributed to my vocation, giving me confidence,” the bishop said.

Finally, he entered St. Charles Seminary in 2001, where he met another important figure in his journey to priesthood. Then-Msgr. Michael Burbidge “was the rector of the seminary and he was very inspirational to me, supportive and encouraging. He instilled in me a great desire to

pursue my studies,” said Bishop Chylinski.

September 2001 was a remarkable time for another reason. After only his first week in the seminary, the Sept. 11 terror attacks struck the United States, and the seminary community bonded as did all Americans, in shared concern, grief, and hope.

“I saw how the community came together,” he said. “I saw the power of being together in prayer. When you experience who the Church is, especially as one of her ordained ministers, you see clearly that it’s not an institution, it’s a family.”

When speaking of the Church, Bishop Chylinski frequently uses the term “family.” He describes the Church as “a living, loving group with relationships rooted in our Lord – the mystical body of Christ. We’re tasting what heaven is like, living the law of grace.”

Family and grief would take on a personal meaning for Bishop Chylinski and his family,

A portrait shows the young Father Keith Chylinski.

Adam Chylinski poses for a photo with his brother Keith in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center when he was announced as an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia Dec. 2023.

R e v e r e n d P a t r i c k J . B r a d y , V i c e R e c t o r , t h e s e m i n a r i a n s , f a c u l t y , s t a f f , & a l u m n i o f

S a i n t C h a r l e s B o r r o m e o S e m i n a r y p r a y e r f u l l y o f f e r c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o :

A d M u l t o s A n n o s ! o n t h e i r E p i s c o p a l O r d i n a t i o n .

B I S H O P K E I T H J . C H Y L I N S K I ‘ 0 7

B I S H O P C H R I S T O P H E R R . C O O K E ‘ 0 6

B I S H O P E F R E N V . E S M I L L A ‘ 9 3

‘I Pray For the Strength and Wisdom To Do My Small Part’

Continued from page 23

when his mother Kelly faced serious illness. The woman who had set him on a course toward the priesthood would not live to see her son become a priest. She died during his year of service as a transitional deacon, just months shy of his priestly ordination.

But ordained he was, and in his priestly assignments over the first six years in service to God’s people he would experience a multitude of diversity in city and suburban parishes.

“In the parishes there were different cultures, and regardless of the differences, I was always so humbled,” he said. “As a priest they confided in you – in the sacraments, in counseling, just talking. It is a privilege to be involved in such significant moments in people’s lives, in their joys and sorrows.”

He realized that ministry to the people far exceeded his own efforts. “It wasn’t me, they were coming to meet Christ.”

The cultural differences also showed Bishop Chylinski that “not everyone is the same,” he said. “We’re equally important but our roles are different. We are all called to service in the Church, to prayer, and a sense of belonging.”

Soon, another of his gifts, a deep understanding of human psychology, would

be called into service for the Church family.

By 2014, Bishop Chylinski had earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from what is now Divine Mercy University in Virginia.

He would use that training at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary as the director of counseling for seminarians while also teaching courses on pastoral counseling and serving on teams dedicated to the formation of seminarians.

In 2022, his leadership gifts were called upon more fully when he was named rector of the seminary a at a key moment in the institution’s history. This fall, it will move from its home of over 150 years in Wynnewood to a new campus in Upper Gwynedd.

Then, late last fall, he received a phone call from a number with a 202 area code. It’s known among priests to brace themselves if they receive a call with that number, because 202 indicates its origin is Washington, D.C., home to the apostolic nuncio, or papal ambassador to the U.S.

The call was indeed from the nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, informing the seminary rector that Pope Francis had named him an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia.

In the Dec. 8 press conference in Philadelphia announcing the news of the pope’s appointments – along with two fellow Philadelphia priests, now Bishops Efren Esmilla and Christopher Cooke – Bishop

as an instrument of Jesus Christ’s truth, beauty, joy and healing love for every member of the Church in Philadelphia –especially to those most in need,” he said at that time.

“There is a purpose for each one of us, and we need the courage to respond to that calling, be it married, single, religious, or ordained. We’re all part of the family.”

– Bishop Keith Chylinski

On that day he said, “I pray for the strength and wisdom to do my small part

He reflected later that the people who are most in need included “those in poverty of spirit and body, those suffering in any physical and mental way,” and those who “suffered abuse at the hands of members of the church.”

People in need also include “the outcasts who feel they don’t belong. The needy are those who feel isolated or alone,” or experiencing “anything that is contrary to what the church really is – family. That is what God is calling us to.”

After March 7, Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski will begin his ministry to the needy, and everyone, as a successor to the apostles in the Church of Philadelphia.

Chylinski expressed his hopes for episcopal ministry.

(St. Charles Borromeo Seminary)

Saint

Mary Parish,

Schwenksville Extends Joyful Congratulations

and prayerful best wishes to Bishops

Keith J

Chylinski

Christopher R

Efren V.

Cooke

Esmilla

May you enjoy many years in the service of God’s people in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

WWW CHURCHOFSAINTMARY ORG

On behalf of the Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious, and Laity of the Diocese of Allentown, Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert extends prayerful congratulations and best wishes to Bishops

Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on the occasion of their Ordination as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

In The Way of St. Andrew, Bishop Cooke Ready to Bring Others to ‘Friendship With God’

“It’s important for the people of the Archdiocese to see this Church is a family, and for priests to be good spiritual fathers,” says Bishop Christopher Cooke.

By Matthew Gambino

The life path for many a priest unfolds in a similar way. Faith is shared in the family. He attends Catholic grade school, then Catholic high school, then the seminary, where he studies philosophy, languages, theology, and Church teaching while growing in prayer prior to priestly ordination.

Few of those steps were the case for one typical resident of a typical Bucks County town. For him the first was the most important.

“I received the gift of faith through my family,” said Bishop Christopher Cooke, ordained to the episcopacy on March 7 for service as an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.

His family includes a younger brother, Matt, and parents, Randall and Mary Lou Cooke, All are members of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Richboro.

His path to the priesthood was not the typical one. He attended public schools in his youth, along with Parish Religious Education classes. At Council Rock North High School, “I really liked science,” he recalls. “I had a desire for it and was decent at math.”

So it was natural that he enrolled at the University of Delaware in 1991 to study chemical engineering. He intended it to be his life path.

During his time at the University of Delaware he practiced his Catholic at St. Thomas More Oratory.

He described it as a “student parish” with “a simple building, served by a Wilmington priest and a staff person,” Bishop Cooke recalls. “And local people came too.”

Some 200 people attended

daily Mass and 500 for each of the weekend Masses at the oratory, Bishop Cooke recalls.

The Oratory also offered young adults a sense of faithfilled community through student retreats held in Cape May, NJ, among other initiatives.

“That was one thing among many that drew me in more and more,” he said, “and made me think, ‘You should be a priest.’”

The seed of discerning a religious vocation had been sown. As with his faith, “the roots of my vocation were my family.”

Bishop Cooke’s uncle is a Philadelphia priest, Msgr. Philip Cribben, and his presence in the family allowed the young man to see a priest “in a non-church setting,” he said.

They formed a close friendship that lasts to this day. “We still ski together,” he said.

That priestly example and the experience of a Catholic student parish during his collegiate years helped Bishop Cooke “to

stay involved with my own contemporaries,” he said.

The thought of priesthood would recede as graduation arrived in 1996. Equipped with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering, he worked for four companies over the next two years in chemical manufacturing and design, “mostly in manufacturing support, where we looked at a process in order to make more of the product, and studying their operations.”

Traveling through Pennsylvania towns and industrial plants, he found “the idea of priesthood kept recurring.” Amidst many sleepless nights, “I was still thinking about it. But I fully thought they wouldn’t want an engineer, but instead someone with a background in history or philosophy,” he said.

Still, he made the effort to reach out to the archdiocesan director of vocations. By the late 1990s he attended a Friday night program at the seminary for men interested in exploring a vocation to priesthood.

At that retreat, “I met another guy who was an electrical engineer, and my jaw dropped!” Bishop Cooke said.

He was not alone in discernment, and realized God was calling men from all walks of life to serve as priests. Reflecting on whether to apply formally to the seminary, “I felt peaceful,” he said, “and I thought I should apply.”

That sense of peace developed through prayer in the face of a major life decision would be a hallmark of what he would later discover as discernment of spirits, a key tenet of the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He did apply to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in February 2000 and was accepted. By August of that year began his pre-theology studies for a grounding in philosophy. That was followed by a Spirituality Year, then four years of theological study at the graduate level.

Following completion of the formation program, he was ordained a priest for by Cardinal Justin Rigali in 2006.

Parish assignments followed, including St. Eleanor in Collegeville, St. Martin of Tours in Philadelphia, and St. Francis in Norristown.

Then one day in 2013 an unexpected conversation occurred with Archbishop Charles Chaput, who asked the young priest about his experience with the seminary’s Spirituality Year.

That program is designed to have seminarians spend one year in an off-site location engaged in deep prayer and study of the Catholic Church’s spiritual heritage.

Father Cooke responded that it was a good experience for him. The brief conversation ended and he thought no more about it.

“Months went by, then I received a phone call,” Bishop Cooke said. He was assigned to the seminary faculty and charged with leading a complete refit of the Spirituality Year. “I had a year to put together a program: the who, what, where,” he said.

An integral part of the job was to study the same program in the Archdiocese of Denver, which Archbishop Chaput had led for 14 years prior to coming to Philadelphia in 2011.

He learned much, then returned. With faculty from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, he launched a revised program in 2014. He would lead that pro-

A portrait shows the young Father Christopher Cooke.

Randall and Mary Lou Cooke pose for a photo with their son Christopher in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center when he was announced as a Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia Dec. 2023.

Bishop

Michael F. Burbidge

BISHOP PAUL S. LOVERDE

and the CLERGY, RELIGIOUS and LAITY of the DIOCESE of ARLINGTON EXTEND CONGRATULATIONS and PRAYERFUL BEST WISHES to

Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla

On their ordination as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

‘It’s Not Really About Me, It Is What God is Doing Through Me and the People’

Continued from page 27

gram of formation for seminarians at St. Matthew Parish in Conshohocken until 2021, when he was named dean of men in the seminary’s Theology Division.

Although much of his priestly ministry has been spent in service of the seminary community, parish life has given the new auxiliary bishop deep insights into his ministry and the character of the Church herself.

In parish ministry, “there was the ability and desire of people to have me involved in the most critical moments of their lives,” Bishop Cooke said.

“Through the sacraments and the key moments of life, a beautiful pastor-and-parishioner relationship develops. You really see the hand of God as you’re relating with one another. This is grace.”

He continued, “It’s not really about me, Chris; it is what God is doing through me and the people, doing the

work of building community. I’m not relying on myself and it’s not my ministry, but it is what God is doing.”

As a result, Bishop Cooke recognizes in himself “a freedom and peace” in his ministry, and a sense that “You, Lord, are doing this. It is your work not mine,” the bishop said.

As he begins his new role of service to the archdiocese and its parishes, schools, institutions and among its people, he brings a broader perspective of the challenges the Church faces at this moment in history.

One challenge in the Church is that the faithful can think of parishes as a “fee for service” business model featuring a “transactional” approach in which we give this [our attendance, our money, our skills] so we can receive that [prayer, the sacraments]. We adopt this approach to the church “because we’re swimming in that culture all the time,” Bishop Cooke said.

But that culturally influenced behavior can be overcome “by the way we relate as priest and people” because a parish is not a setting for a series of transactions, “it’s a charity, it’s a family,” he said.

“The big challenge is for us as a Church to see the beauty of faith as a gift. Not living according to rules but as a way of living in love. For the people of the archdiocese to see this is a family, and for priests to be good spiritual fathers.”

The challenge for priests “is not to be dissuaded by secular culture, but [to] find creative ways to evangelize, and keep parishes alive, and keep connected with the love of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ,” said the bishop.

“If we would communicate out of a desire for love, we would be so much more on fire.”

(Sarah Webb)

Congratulations! Congratulations!

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia extend joyful congratulations and an assuarance of prayers to

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski

Bishop Christopher R. Cooke

Bishop Efren V. Esmilla

on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Sending Joyful Congratulations and Prayers to BISHOP KEITH J. CHYLINSKI

BISHOP CHRISTOPHER R. COOKE & BISHOP EFREN V. ESMILLA

On Your Appointments as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

MOST REV. WILLIAM E. KOENIG, D.D.

AND THE FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF W

Bishop Esmilla’s Path from the Philippines to Philadelphia Paved by Service and Began in Prayer

Bishop Efren Esmilla says “The Eucharist is the key element to be a man of service.”

By Matthew Gambino

For generations, Filipino Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had been praying for a priest who looked like them, spoke their native language, and understood their culture. They intuitively sought a priest who was one their own. So they prayed for such a man.

God must have heard their cry because 8,000 miles away in the Philippines, a young boy began to hear the call to the priesthood.

Young Efren Esmilla had already received his first holy Communion by age 6 and was by far the youngest altar server at his parish, San Bartolome (St. Bartholomew). Because of his piety he was referred to by parishioners as “Monsignor” in honor of the pastor, Msgr. Rosal Nicodemus.

But as the years unfolded, what looked to be a straight course to service as a priest in his native land took several turns. In God’s time it led to Father Esmilla’s ordination as a priest of Philadelphia, and since March 7, one of its newest auxiliary bishop.

Bishop Esmilla, 61, looks back with gratitude at God’s plan for his life.

That life course began in the town of Nagcarlan in the province of Laguna, south of the capital of Manila in the Philippines.

Cristobal and Crispina Esmilla raised 10 children, six daughters and four sons, with Efren being the second youngest.

He graduated from Catholic high school and then entered San Beda College in Manila, where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1984.

While the early thought of a life of service as a priest never entirely left him, he would enter the workforce as a young man as he ”used the time to discern more,” he said.

By 1986 he, like millions of Filipinos, experienced political turmoil as the presidency of Fernando Marcos had become a dictatorship. The political situation became volatile, culminating in the 1986 People’s Power revolution when millions of citizens like Efren Esmilla flooded the streets of Manila calling for the end of the Marcos regime and a return to democracy.

Following the successful transition to free elections and the rise of Corazon Aquino as the new president, Efren responded anew to the call toward priesthood.

But because of his time spent working, he was deemed a “late vocation” and denied entrance to the local diocesan seminary. “When I was not accepted at first

to the seminary, I believed God had a better plan for me,” Bishop Esmilla said.

He had trust in Divine Providence. It would draw him far from his home but close to his people.

His parents were living in the United States, in the West Chester area, along with other family members. A cousin at St. Agnes Parish sent him a medal of St. John Neumann, who had left his home in Bavaria to minister in Philadelphia as bishop of that young diocese in the 1860s.

“I would follow in his footsteps,” Bishop Esmilla recalls. “I have a great devotion to the fourth bishop of Philadelphia.”

At that time Efren’s father was working as the sexton at St. Agnes . He explained his son’s dilemma to the pastor at that time, Msgr. Lawrence Kelly, who suggested the young man apply to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and study for the priesthood in Philadelphia. Efren did so, was accepted, and entered in the fall of 1988.

Coming to a new country and entering the seminary in Philadelphia, with all the cultural differences, actually represented “not a lot of adjustment, because Philadelphia is very traditional in religious (practice), and that was also so in the Philippines,” Bishop Esmilla said.

At St. Charles, “my formation was really great. The faculty helped me adjust, and they accepted me.”

He earned his Master of Divinity degree there and was ordained a priest in 1993 by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.

His first priestly assignment was to St. John Chrysostom Parish in Wallingford, Delaware County. Over the next seven years at that assignment the foundation of his priestly ministry became clear.

“It was there that the Eucharist became my focus,” Bishop Esmilla said.

“I really embraced the words, ‘I have come to serve (Mt. 20:28).’ The influence of the Blessed Sacrament really captured my heart.”

Seeing the crucifix at the altar at every Mass he celebrated, he was driven to the concept of prayer tied to service. “Service is the name of the game,” he said.

Following a two-year assignment at Maternity B.V.M. Parish in Northeast Philadelphia, he was assigned to the formation team at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

The theme of service was

again was driven home in the words of the rector at that time, then-Msgr. Michael Burbidge. Bishop Esmilla remembers him saying, “A man of service needs to be a man of prayer.”

“I’m not an academic,” said Bishop Esmilla, “but I am a man of prayer and service.”

His role at the seminary as director of pastoral and apostolic formation primarily involved instructing seminarians in how to work hard, and prayerfully, in a variety of assignments.

Bishop Esmilla’s spirituality remains one of humble, prayerful service in the spirit of another of his saintly heroes, St. Vincent de Paul.

“He said, ‘Give me a man of prayer, and he will be capable of anything,’” the bishop recalls.

That capability would be tested in the years after his seminary assignment concluded.

When he was named pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in North Philadelphia, he was told it was “a dying parish.”

A portrait shows the young Father Efren Esmilla.

Cristobal and Crispina Esmilla raised 10 children, six daughters and four sons, with Efren being the second youngest.

Archbishop Ryan High School offers congratulations and prayerful best wishes to

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski

Bishop Christopher R.Cooke

Bishop Efren V. Esmilla

May you enjoy many years in the service of God’s people in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

On behalf of the Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious, and Laity of the Diocese of Allentown, Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert extends prayerful congratulations and best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on the occasion of their Ordination as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

nd

Ryers and congratulations to

th J. Chylinski stopher R.Cooke

en V. Esmilla

r appointment as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Dreams, Friends of Ryan, n, In Vite Mane, and Ryan Soccer Association

On behalf of the Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious, and Laity of the Diocese of Allentown, Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert extends prayerful congratulations and best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on the occasion of their Ordination as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

‘The Influence of the Blessed Sacrament Really Captured My Heart’

Continued from page 31

But over the next 14 years of his pastorship, “and together with parishioners, we were able to make it a vibrant parish, along with the generosity of outside people,” Bishop Esmilla said.

He also cites the involvement of the nearby innovative private Catholic high school, Cristo Rey High School, that together “really saved the parish. It is a great partnership,” he said.

Next came a similar challenge albeit outside the city at St. James the Great Parish in Elkins Park. In 2021, he was asked to concurrently shepherd the faithful at St. Martin of Tours in Philadelphia.

Thanks to the efforts and involvement of parishioners St. James is “fully alive again,” said the bishop, and St. Martin Parish is active in service and prayer, which he regards as “a great blessing.”

These parish assignments along with St. Thomas Aquinas in South Philadelphia gave Bishop Esmilla a strong sense of the wide cultural diversity in the archdiocese. Among this rich sea were his own Filipino people, whom he served and unified in the area. In turn, they rallied around him in

support of his parish assignments.

He continues to serve the Filipinos of the archdiocese at St. James, and he even serves Filipinos in the neighboring Wilmington Diocese with a monthly Mass at St. Elizabeth Parish in Wilmington.

He knows that serving people means meeting them where they are, addressing their needs and sharing the Gospel message of Christ’s love and mercy. And that means speaking the language of the people.

In addition to his native Tagalog language, Bishop Esmilla is fluent in English and has learned two other languages to serve the people of his parishes.

Aware that a fluency in Spanish would be helpful to serve the many Spanish-speakers in the archdiocese, in 2011 Bishop Esmilla studied the language in an immersion program in Bolivia. “I tried my best to know the language,” he said.

St. Martin of Tours Parish hosts a sizable number of Catholics from Brazil where Portuguese is spoken. “When a priest to celebrate Mass in that language for the faithful could not be found, I

learned the language enough to celebrate Mass,” Bishop Esmilla said.

“Now Mass is celebrated in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Portuguese as we await a chaplain (to be assigned).”

The Portuguese language “is part of Philippine history, as Magellan brought the faith,” Bishop Esmilla said of the 16th century Portuguese explorer. “I wanted to embrace the people for what they have done for the Philippines,” he said.

Beyond using the language of the people in prayer, Bishop Esmilla leads them in service, which may point to the parishes’ success of late.

At St. James Parish, a ministry of seven parishioners and Bishop Esmilla travel once a month to Kensington to bring blankets, clothes and food provided by the Filipino organization LUSOB (Let Us Share Our Blessings).

And St. Martin Parish has a Charity and Solidarity Center in a former convent that offers anyone in the surrounding neighborhoods food, ESL classes (English as a Second Language) and spiritual support, all in the mission of “serving the

poorest of the poor,” Bishop Esmilla said. “Both parishes are alive, and we help people to deepen their faith in God,” he said. “People are praying and praising God, and that helps to deepen my faith. The people are helping the priest to become a holy, prayerful person.”

He continues to support the annual devotion to Santo Nino – an image of the Christ Child that is widely popular with Filipino Catholics – and for 20 years to lead the FIAT ministry (Filipinos in America Today) which rallies Filipinos in service.

In early February he returned with a local FIAT group visiting squatter settlements in the Philippines that has helped 500 families over the past 10 years to find housing and even college scholarships.

All of the service of his priestly and now episcopal ministry, joined intimately with deep prayer, reflects the words of his bishop’s motto: Sicut qui ministrat, which translated from the Latin means, “I am among you as the one who serves” (Lk. 22:27).

Bishop Efren poses with faithful from St. Agatha-St. James Parish in Philadelphia Dec. 2023. The group celebrated five years of fellowship through the Filipino Youth Ministry at the parish. (Sarah Webb)

Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A., Prior Provincial, and the Augustinian Friars of the Province of St Thomas of Villanova

offer our congratulations and blessings to

Bishops Keith J

Christopher

R.

Chylinsk

Cooke,

and Efren

V. Esmilla

on their appointments as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

You are remembered in prayer as you begin your new ministry.

www.augustinian.org

The Staff, Augustinian Friars, and patrons of the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia extend joyful congratulations and heartfelt prayers to our new Auxiliary Bishops!

May Saint Rita, beloved by the Lord, continue to intercede to God on your behalf.

Q&A with Bishop Keith J. Chylinski

In this Q&A interview, CatholicPhilly asks Bishop Chylinski his thoughts on faith, Philadelphia sports, and what Missionary Discipleship means to him.

¢ What is your episcopal motto?

Dabo Vobis Cor Unum, which is translated “I will give you a new heart” (Ez. 36:26).

¢ Who are your favorite saints?

On the top tier is the Holy Family. On the second tier is St. Pio, or Padre Pio. I entrusted my vocation to him in college. He is a powerful intercessor. I also have a great devotion to St. John Paul II.

¢Do you follow sports?

I’m very much a Philadelphia sports fan! Tops for me are the Eagles and the Phillies.

¢ What is a fond memory of growing up?

My favorite memory of growing up was family trips to visit cousins around the country, especially in Texas and Arizona.

¢ Do you have a favorite hobby?

My hobby is traveling. I like to visit new places, people, and cultures; the bigger world around us.

I visited Ireland last summer with priest friends. And Rome is this year. [All new bishops around the world join a retreat for them each year hosted by the pope at the Vatican.]

¢ What does Missionary Discipleship mean to you?

It means being generous with God’s love. Followers of Jesus have encountered that love and are passing it to others. Love is expansive – you don’t keep it to yourself.

¢ As rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, do you have a word about vocations?

We do need to pray more intentionally for vocations – that this is a viable option. God already has a plan for people. We’re praying for those called to hear God’s call, and to have the courage to respond. I tell the seminarians, “I only want what God’s will is for you.” We all need the capacity to hear God’s call.

There is a purpose for each one of us, and we need the courage to respond to that calling, be it married, single, religious, or ordained. We’re all part of the family.

***

Question and answer conducted by Matthew Gambino.

Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

PrayerfulBestWishes

to

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski, Bishop Christopher R. Cooke, Bishop Efren V. Esmilla

on your appointment asAuxiliaryBishopsof the ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

F

Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L. and the clergy, religious and laity of the DIOCESE OF SCRANTON

Q&A with Bishop Christopher R. Cooke

In this Q&A interview, CatholicPhilly asks Bishop Cooke about his episcopal motto, prayer, and his source of inspiration.

¢ Who is your favorite saint?

The Blessed Mother, and her beautiful care for us as children. I have visited the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Paris. It’s so quiet; people are drawn into the power of the place.

Also, I went to Ars and held the chalice of St. John Vianney [patron saint of parish priests].

For my [episcopal] coat of arms, I chose the St. Andrew cross. On a 30-day Ignatian retreat, the name of Andrew kept coming up, so Andrew chose me.

¢ What is your episcopal motto?

Invenimus Messiam, [which means] “We have found the Messiah.”

[In the Gospel of John, 1:41)] Andrew tells Simon Peter, and brings him to Our Lord. Then Andrew fades into the background.

¢ How do you pray?

I like to pray with the imagination. I’m a visual learner by nature. So I wonder, what the scenes of the Gospel look like as I reflect on them.

¢ Can you describe discernment?

It’s [distinguishing] what’s from God, what’s from me, and what’s from the enemy.

In time I’ve learned to discern the movements [of God] in my life, and can say through experience of discernment, “I see what’s going on here,” and respond appropriately.

¢ Do you have a hobby?

I really enjoy downhill skiing. Also bicycling, on mountain or road bikes.

¢ What is a source of inspiration for you?

I pray over the mystery of the Transfiguration. I’m drawn into amazement of the voice of the Father, the presence of the

Son, the cloud of the Holy Spirit. That draws me in. In the Holy Land, I visited the Mount of the Transfiguration, and the road of Calvary. I’m drawn into those mysteries.

¢ Would you describe what missionary discipleship means to you?

To me it’s about taking my relationship with Jesus Christ and introducing that to a friend. I’m bringing others to friendship with God through the experience of the love of Jesus, who says, “I call you friends.”

***

Question and answer conducted by Matthew Gambino.

LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

extends joyful congratulations and prayerful best wishes to

BISHOPS KEITH J. CHYLINSKI, CHRISTOPHER R. COOKE, AND EFREN V. ESMILLA

on their appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Congratulations

Bishops Keith J. Chylinski

Christopher R. Cooke and Efren V. Esmilla, on your appointments as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia!

With prayerful good wishes from Bishop Lawrence T. Persico, JCL and the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Erie

Our Prayerful Best Wishes to Bisho ps Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia.

A special congratulations to Bishop Efren Esmilla! As one of our former Priest who served us with much enthusiasm and holiness, we wish you many blessings. FIAT!

Fr. Paul S. Quinter, Pastor Fr. Edward T. Kearns, Parochial Administrator pro tem Priests, Deacons, Sisters and Parishioners of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish 9220 Old Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19115

Q&A with Bishop Efren V. Esmilla

In this Q&A interview, CatholicPhilly asks Bishop Esmilla about his hobbies, favorite saints, and his most memorable time during his priestly service.

¢ Who is your favorite saint?

I have a litany of favorite saints! St. Bartholomew [patron of his home parish in the Philippines], St. John Neumann, St. Katharine Drexel,

Mother Teresa [St. Teresa of Calcutta], Padre Pio [St. Pio of Pietrelcina], St. Faustina and St. Peter Julian Eymard.

¢ Do you have a favorite devotion?

Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the key element to being a man of service. We must all center our life in the Eucharist. In the eucharistic revival, Pope Francis is asking us to make this a special year of prayer and devotion to the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist..

¢What is a special memory of your parish service that stands out for you?

Last May a woman gave me a pectoral cross [an insignia of

a bishop] she made from wire. I thought, “Lord, are you telling me something?”

¢ Do you follow Philadelphia sports?

When I was at Maternity [2001 to 2003], in the rectory we watched sports together, including the Eagles. I do enjoy basketball. It’s the number one sport in the Philippines.

¢ Do you have a favorite food?

No, I’m not picky. I will eat whatever is placed before me.

¢ What is a hobby that you enjoy?

I enjoy traveling on pilgrimage. Last fall with a group of priests we traveled to Poland and venerated Our Lady of Czestochowa [Shrine]

and the Divine Mercy Shrine before continuing to Medjugorje and climbing a high hill to the cross. At that moment I told God, “I surrender to your will.”

Two years ago I walked 170 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago [in Spain]. I reflected on St. James [the apostle whose remains are in Spain and who is the namesake of the parish of which Bishop Esmilla is the pastor].

[The pilgrimage] helped me to know more of my past and present, and to see what the Lord is giving me in the future. I knelt at the tomb of St. James. ***

Question and answer conducted by Matthew Gambino.

“Vocations are born in prayer and prayer can they persevere and

Cardinal Justin Rigali, then-Monsignor

John J. McIntyre, and Deacon Keith Chylinski at the Easter Vigil, April 2007.

A young Deacon Christopher Cooke stands in front of St. Martin Chapel at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, 2006.

Deacon Keith Chylinski cruxifix during veneration on Good Friday,

Then-Father Efren Esmilla, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, and then-Father Michael Burbidge, Former Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and current Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington.

and from prayer and only through and bear fruit.” -Pope Francis

Father Willian J. Monahan (left), then-Auxiliary Bishop Daniel E. Thomas (center), and Father Keith J. Chylinski view a reliquary that contains the heart of St. John Vianney.

Chylinski holds the veneration of the cross Friday, April 2006.

A newly-ordained Father Esmilla says his first Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Philadelphia.

A newly-ordained Father Christopher Cooke at the Cathedral Bascilica, May 20, 2006.

The faculty, staff, a rchbishop Carroll High School extend ou ations and prayers to Bishops Keith J Chyli ooke, and Efren V Esmilla on their ap Bishops of the A lphia

Congratulations and best wishes to Bishops Chylinski, Cooke & Esmilla

May you enjoy many years in the service of God’s people in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

PENNSYLVANIA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

The Pauline Fathers and Brothers together with the whole family of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown would like to express our great joy, congratulations and best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla.

May Our Lady of Czestochowa always protect and gu ide you in your pastoral ministry as you service God’s people in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

PRAYERFUL CONGRATULATIONS TO THEIR EXCELLENCIES,

BISHOPS CHYLINSKI, COOKE AND ESMILLA!

NORRISTOWN

HOLY SAVIOUR PARISH

Prayerful best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from the St. Bernadette of Lourdes Parish and School Community.

The St. Robert Bellarmine Parish community extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus extend s its prayerful best wishes to

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski

Bishop Christopher R. Cooke

Bishop Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

On behalf of His Beatitude Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Bishops of the Permanent Synod, and the bishops, clergy, religious, and laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, we extend our heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of their episcopal ordination to

Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla

We are deeply honored and grateful to share with you this solemn sacrament and sign of the vitality of the Church of Christ in the City of Brotherly Love. At this time of great challenges for our people we express our profound gratitude for the singular support and spiritual solidarity of American Catholics, particularly Archbishop Nelson Pérez, the bishops, clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

ΆΞΙΟΣ, Brothers!

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk

Metropolitan Borys Gudziak (Philadelphia, PA)

Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh (Germany and Scandinavia)

Bishop Wolodymyr Juszczak (Wrocław-Gdańsk, Poland)

Bishop Andriy Khimiak (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Bishop Yosafat Moschych (Chernivtsi, Ukraine)

Bishop Venedykt Aleksiychuk (Chicago, IL)

Bishop Paul Chomnycky (Stanford, CT)

Bishop Bohdan Danylo (Parma, OH)

Congratulati ons,

Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla.

May

you be an instrument of God’s love and peace to the People of God.

The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters

OurLadyof GoodCounsel extendsprayerful best wishesto BishopsKeithJ.Chylinski,ChristopherR.Cooke,andEfrenV. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the ArchdioceseofPhiladelphia.

Wayne, PA 19087

Congratulations and the assurance of our prayers to Bishop Keith J. Chylinski, Bishop Christopher R. Cooke and Bishop Efren V. Esmilla on the occasion of your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Our Mother of Consolation Parish Congratulates

Our new auxiliary bishops, Wishing many blessings on your new ministry.

In the words of the gentleman saint, Bishop St. Francis de Sales,

“

Be who you are and be that well, so as to give honor to the Master Craftsman whose handiwork you are.”

extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to

Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Saint Jerome Parish extends joyful congrat ulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V Esmilla on your appoint ment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philladelphia.

PRAYERFUL BEST WISHES

to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R.Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Bishop Esmilla Always Planned to be a Man of Service

“Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament has really helped me become the person I am now,” says Bishop Efren Esmilla.

By Gia Myers

It was 1993, and the newly ordained Father Efren V. Esmilla knelt for the first time in front of the Blessed Sacrament at Saint John Chrysostom Parish in Wallingford, his first assignment as a priest.

Looking up at the tabernacle, he noticed an inscription, which read, “I have come to serve.” Since that time, he’s made being “a man of service” the core of his priestly vocation.

Now Bishop Esmilla – who speaks five languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, Latin, and Portuguese - is pastor at Saint James Roman Catholic Church in Elkins Park, arriving there in July 2020, and at Saint Martin of Tours in Philadelphia since 2021.

“Anywhere he’s able to serve, he will do it with joy,” says Sister Loretto, who along with Bishop-elect Esmilla started pastoral ministry to the Filipino community in 1991 when he was still a seminarian. “Everyone is a friend to him.”

“He welcomes everyone, and makes sure they feel welcome,” says Joseph Marchetti, parishioner at Saint Martin of Tours.

“He goes out of his way to greet everyone.”

“He’s a very humble, prayerful, and service-filled man,” says Patricia Mulhern, another parishioner at Saint Martin of Tours.

Mulhern spoke of how Bishop-elect Esmilla repurposed the parish’s closed convent into a charity and solidarity center last year, offering ESL classes, food pantry, senior activities, and a free clinic with physicians who donate their time.

“It’s something our neighborhood really needs,” said Mulhern.

Born in the Laguna province of the Philippines, he was the ninth of 10 children of his late parents Cristobal and Crispina.

Looking back on his childhood in the Philippines, he recalls his family attending Mass daily along with frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Rosary and Stations of the Cross.

“Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament has really helped me become the person I am now,” he said.

His mother also had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin

Congratulati ons, Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla.

May you be an instrument of God’s love and peace to the People of God.

The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters

Mary, which the bishop-elect shares. He’s served as spiritual director for the Legion of Mary in the archdiocese since 2001.

“I’m a Marian priest,” he says.

He received his first Holy Communion and became an altar server at age 6. He became a lector in high school, and as a college student in Manila, he became an extraordinary minister and also the first president of the Youth Commission in the Diocese of San Pablo.

In 1985 – after college graduation – he applied to a seminary in the Philippines, though he was not accepted. His admission was deferred for one to two years.

“That was a very devastating experience for me,” he says, and it made him question his spiritual life.

In 1987, he came to the United States to join other siblings who had settled in West Chester, Pa. He became a parishioner at Saint Agnes Church in West Chester, and eventually a seminarian at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood.

It was by chance in 1997 that then Father Esmilla – the first Filipino priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – accompanied then Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, on a trip to the Philippines, where they visited the same seminary to which Father Esmilla had applied to in 1985.

He acknowledges that if he had been accepted by the seminary in the Philippines, he wouldn’t be

the priest or bishop that he is today.

“God knows best, and He plans it the best. My mantra is always Fiat, ‘Let God’s will be done.’ I’ve embraced it in my heart for many years, even before I went to the seminary.”

Throughout his different roles and assignments in the archdiocese, Bishop Esmilla expresses great appreciation for the support of the Filipino community

“In my 31 years as a priest, it’s always a great joy to have the Filipino community have my back. They’ve supported me even when I was a seminarian, and being the first Filipino priest in the archdiocese, they really helped me and supported me well.”

“It was natural for him to reach out to all the Filipino families,” said Sister Loretto. “He aroused their enthusiasm to live their faith. He encouraged them to register in their parishes and

take part in parish life. The Filipinos were no longer shy. They offered their time, talent, and treasures.”

He also visits the Philippines yearly, along with a prayer group he started 20 years ago during his first assignment at Saint John Chrysostom. They adopted an area in Malabon, a city in the Philippines.

“We help them in all their material needs, especially their education in the sacraments,” he said.

Though his parents died in 2013 - seven days apart and four months shy of their 70th wedding anniversary – he says his ordination to bishop is “their dream come true,” though he says that personally, he had never dreamed of becoming a bishop.

“I always said I just want to be a simple, humble priest,” he said.

Bishop Esmilla poses with his miter and crosier ahead of his Episcopal Ordination during a Solemn Evening of Prayer, March 6. (Sarah Webb)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Reverend

The Bishop Shanahan High School Community extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla on their appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Bishop Cooke Set to Begin New Role, ‘Faith is Really a Gift to be Treasured.’

Bishop Christopher Cooke is looking forward to cultivating relationships and meeting with the ‘people in the parishes’.

By Elena Perri

Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Cooke was praying one evening when he received an unexpected phone call. Ordinarily, he doesn’t let a call disrupt his prayers, but this time he answered his phone.

It’s a good thing Bishop Cooke answered because the caller was Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, informing him that Pope Francis was naming him an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“I was a bit speechless,” said Bishop Cooke, who has served as Dean of Men at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood since 2021. “I don’t remember much of what I said on that phone call. My head was trying to process what the Nuncio had just said to me. I was just trying to make sense of it.”

Bishop Cooke was not alone in receiving surprising news from Cardinal Pierre. Pope Francis also named Bishop Keith Chylinski, rector at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and Bishop Efren Esmilla, pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Philadelphia and St. James Parish in Elkins Park, as auxilia-

ry bishops for the Archdiocese at the same time.

All three were ordained to the episcopacy by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul on March 7.

While the news of his appointment was surprising, Bishop Cooke said he feels a sense of peace about his new role.

“I really believe this is what God is calling me to do,” he said. “I want to serve the Church of Philadelphia as God wants me to, so I feel a sense of resolve to do that, and I’m very excited about it.”

Bishop Cooke expects that he will oversee a specific region of the Archdiocese, and he is eager to visit parishes and celebrate Masses.

“I’m really excited about going to different parishes each weekend and meeting the people in the parishes,” he said. “I’m also really looking forward to getting to know even more of the Spanish-speaking parishioners in the whole Archdiocese of Philadelphia and being able to celebrate Mass with them.”

While Bishop Cooke is looking forward to the joyful experiences of being an auxiliary bish-

op such as celebrating Mass at parishes and administering the sacrament of Confirmation, he understands that his role also will be challenging at times.

“I know that being a bishop involves a lot of difficult work, and it’s not always easy,” he said. “I know there are a lot of challenges ahead of me, so I feel the weight of that, but I also feel the joy of being with people at very important moments in their lives.”

¢ FORMING FUTURE PRIESTS

In his role as Dean of Men at St. Charles Seminary, Bishop Cooke has been responsible for overseeing the human formation of approximately 70 seminarians including scheduling weekly conferences and helping seminarians develop their pastoral skills and strengthen their prayer life.

Bishop Cooke works with a team of priests that he meets with regularly to discuss the progress of the seminarians.

“We talk about how the seminarians are doing in their classes and if they are having a good experience in their apostolic assignments,” he said. “We look for evidence of growing in their relationship with the Lord and whether they possess leadership qualities that would make them a good pastor someday.”

know how they’re doing in community and whether they’re excited to be part of projects and programs,” he added.

Prior to becoming Dean of Men, Bishop Cooke served as Director of the seminary’s Spirituality Year Program for several years.

“I ran a basic program of seminary formation with an emphasis on developing prayer and good human skills for the seminarians,” Bishop Cooke said. “I lived with anywhere from 12 to 20 seminarians. I basically ran everything in terms of the chapel and the kitchen, and I organized a daily schedule of classes that instructors and professors offered to the seminarians.”

Seminarians are also evaluated on their participation in community activities, Bishop Cooke said. “We want to

¢ SERVING AT PARISHES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

Born and raised in St. Vincent DePaul Parish in Richboro, Bishop Cooke was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of

Philadelphia in 2006 by Cardinal Justin Rigali.

His first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Eleanor Parish in Collegeville where he served for two years.

“At the time, it was a 4,000-family parish,” Bishop Cooke said. “They had a parish school, a large religious education program, lots of baptisms, and a full schedule of Masses on the weekends. It was a great community to begin my ministry. I learned so much there.”

Bishop Cooke was then transferred to St. Martin of Tours Parish in Philadelphia where he served as parochial vicar for four years. It was there that he began offering a Spanish Mass every Sunday. He studied Spanish in high school and enjoyed learning the language.

Continued on page 57

Then-Bishop-elect Cooke claps during a news conference at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center announcing the new Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia, Dec. 2023. (Sarah Webb)

SAINT FRANCIS DE SA LES PARISH

United by the Most Blessed Sacrament

OFFERS PRAYERFUL CONGRATULATIONS TO

Most Rev. Keith J. Chylinski

Most Rev. Christopher R. Cooke

Most Rev. Efren V. Esmilla

Ad multos annos!

‘My Uncle Sowed Seeds of My Vocation’

Continued from page 55

“I began taking Spanish classes, and I had parishioners help me correct my homilies,” Bishop Cooke said. “I would write them out in advance, and they would correct them.”

A highlight of his time at St. Martin of Tours was getting more young people involved in the parish.

“We were able to develop a high school youth group, and we had 12 youth who went on the pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain,” he said. “We also had a lot of good things happening with the CYO.”

In 2012 Bishop Cooke was named administrator of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Norristown.

“I was the acting pastor there and lived there by myself, so it was the first time being the only priest in a rectory,” he said. “The staff was excellent, and I never felt alone.”

While some people may think living alone is challenging, the bishop said the vibrancy of the parish helped eliminate any feelings of loneliness.

“The parish was very busy because it had a school and a good base of parishioners who came to mass Sunday after Sunday,” he added.

¢DISCERNING HIS CALL TO THE PRIESTHOOD

Bishop Cooke, the oldest son of Randall and Mary Lou Cooke, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1996. He then worked in the field of chemical manufacturing and design. While studying at the Seminary, he earned a Master of Divinity

Degree in 2005 and a Master of Arts Degree in 2006.

Prior to entering the Seminary, Bishop Cooke worked at Arco Chemical Company for about a year before deciding to take evening courses at St. Charles Seminary to learn more about his faith.

At that time, he also became involved with Young Adult Ministry in the Archdiocese and served on the Young Adult Core Team which helped organize activities for young adults across the Archdiocese.

“What I noticed happening was that I really enjoyed being part of the whole Catholic community and being around my contemporaries and that we were sharing our faith,” Bishop Cooke said.

Both of these experiences prompted him to consider becoming a priest.

“I just had this recurring thought, ‘You should think about being a priest,’” Bishop Cooke said. “I couldn’t get rid of that thought so I finally called Father Joe Devlin who was the vocations director at the time.”

His parents’ strong commitment to their Catholic faith and the example of his uncle, Msgr. Philip Cribben, pastor emeritus of St. Anastasia Parish in Newtown Square, also contributed to his decision to enter the Seminary.

“Growing up with my uncle was just amazing because I saw the joy of the priesthood regularly when I was with him,” Bishop Cooke said. “I would see him at family functions, for birthdays, at Christmas and Easter, and dinners throughout the year, and we would also vacation together down the shore and in the Poconos.”

Bishop Cooke shared that his vocation was being nurtured even before he was aware that God was calling him to the priesthood.

“My uncle sowed seeds of my vocation, along with my parents, who were just so faithful and encouraging,” he said. “Growing up in a family that was loving, nourishing, compassionate, encouraging, was just so foundational for my vocation.”

Bishop Cooke and his uncle remain close and enjoy spending time together at the shore and on the ski slopes. “We go skiing in the wintertime together, and we go to the shore in the summertime,” he said. “Those things are still happening, which is really a blessing.”

¢ JOYS OF THE PRIESTHOOD

Bishop Cooke has experienced many meaningful moments throughout his priesthood.

“The most satisfying and gratifying aspect is the ability to be alongside another person and see the hand of God, the grace of God working in their life,” Bishop Cooke said. “I’m not talking about necessarily going from not having faith to having faith, but to having faith and seeing it go deeper and deeper. That is just so beautiful.”

Bishop Cooke emphasized the importance role that families play in encouraging vocations.

“For families to nourish vocations, to encourage them, and to see that when a vocation flourishes, it’s really the work of God,” he said. “You can’t underestimate the power of a family in nourishing vocations.”

For young men, Bishop Cooke sug-

gests that they consider all their options for a joy-filled life.

“Should you consider being married? Absolutely,” he said. “But you want to ask yourself the question, ‘Is this the joy-filled life God is calling me to?” The question that every young man should consider is, ‘Could God be calling me to the life of a priest if I want to be happy, joyful, and fulfilled?’”

The ordination of three auxiliary bishops is a blessing for the Archdiocese, Bishop Cooke added.

“I think it’s an opportunity for the whole Church in Philadelphia to be joyful about being Catholic,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to be grateful for faith and what God is doing in our lives. I would encourage every Catholic to take joy in being gifted with faith from God. Faith is really a gift to be treasured.”

OurLadyof GoodCounsel extendsprayerful best wishesto BishopsKeithJ.Chylinski,ChristopherR.Cooke,andEfrenV. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the ArchdioceseofPhiladelphia.

Msgr. Philip Cribben (left) vesting his nephew Then-Father Cooke during his priestly ordination in 2006. (Sarah Webb)

The Redemptorists at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, C.Ss.R., first American Bishop Saint, send our prayerful support to Bishops Keith Chylinski, Christopher Cooke and Efren Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

•

National Shrine o f

S

t . John Neumann

Martin Saints Classical High School congratulates Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla.

“Father, protect the gifts you have given him, and let him yield a harvest worthy of you.”

www.whymsc.org

St. Ignatius Parish and School Communities extends joyful congratulations and an assurance of prayers to

Bishop Keith J. Chylinski

Bishop Christopher R. Cooke

Bishop Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Seminarians Reflect on Newly-Appointed Auxiliary Bishops

Seminarians from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary rejoice in the appoitment of Bishop Chylinski, Rector, and Bishop Cooke, Dean of Men in the Theology Division, as Auxiliary Bishops.

By Elena Perri

It’s not every day that cheers echo through the halls of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

However, on December 8, 2023, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, seminarians learned that Pope Francis had named two of their leaders, Father Keith Chylinski, Rector, and Father Christopher Cooke, Dean of Men in the Theology Division, as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“We were all elated,” Seminarian Tyler Davis said. “My whole dormitory floor erupted.”

Davis, a Theology II student studying for the Diocese of Allentown, said the seminarians attended Mass at the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal that day.

“I remember Bishops Chylinski and Cooke walking into this reception after Mass, and we all stood up and clapped for several minutes,” Davis said. “There was something beautiful about standing and clapping them into this new role they would be embracing.”

Seminarian Ted Zielinski and his classmates also had a joyful

reaction to the news about the appointments.

“We were really excited,” said Zielinski, who is in his third year in college and studying for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. “What is so exciting for the seminary community is the fact that not only do we have a bishop coming from our community, but we have two, so it’s double!”

Seminarian Alfredo Tuesta, a Theology III student studying for the Diocese of Arlingtonsaid he was happy to hear that his Rector and Dean of Men were becoming bishops.

“I had no idea that three new bishops would be ordained, and then to see two priests that I know well here at the Seminary on the list, I was just so thrilled for them,” Tuesta said. “I couldn’t think of any two better men to represent the Archdiocese and to be leaders in the Church the way they’ve led and cared for and loved the Seminary. I know they’ll do the same for the Archdiocese.”

¢RECTOR’S LEADERSHIP

For Seminarian Declan Cole, the news wasn’t as surprising to

him because of the leadership that Bishop Chylinski has shown as rector of the Seminary.

“In the three years he’s been rector, it has been so clear that he is a man fit to lead and fit to be a voice in the Church and a presence in the Church,” said Cole, a Theology II student studying for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. “I think giving him this responsibility will really help the Church at large.”

Cole noted Bishop Chylinski’s ability to listen as one of his strengths as a leader.

“He’s so good at hearing what you have to say, and if it’s not possible to do, he will explain it in a way that is kind and charitable or find a way to make it work,” Cole said. “Even if he can’t get it done, we always know he’s listening to us.”

Cole recalled a time when some daytime classes had to be held at night due to a disruption in their usual class schedule.

Making classes up at night is not ideal for seminarians, according to Cole, but he said Bishop Chylinski gave the students the opportunity to make those classes fun.

ed a family-like atmosphere at the Seminary.

“I really feel like we have a family environment on campus,” Zielinski said. “It’s like you have a hundred something brothers and all these priests who are your fathers in different ways.”

“He let us bring snacks, and we could dress up in a theme, so we had a pajama class or a beach day class,” Cole said. “We actually enjoyed going each night because of how fun he made it. That is a testament to how he listens to us and how he wants to bring joy to everyone.”

Zielinski emphasized how Bishop Chylinski has creat-

Humility is another quality that Bishop Chylinski brings to his leadership role.

“He’s a very humble person, and someone who’s really concerned about the guys,” Zielinski added. “He really brings the best out of guys and encourages them to cultivate deep prayer lives.”

Davis noted how he and his fellow seminarians have developed a strong bond with Bishop Chylinski.

“What has most impressed me is how ‘bought in’ the seminarians have been to him being rector,” Davis said. “He is so loved by our group, and because

we see how much he loves us, we would do anything for him.”

¢ROLE MODEL FOR SEMINARIANS

Bishop Chylinski also has served as a positive role model for the future priests.

“One of the things that really impressed me is how he has emphasized human formation in the context of greater vulnerability to the heart of Christ,” Tuesta said. “Being vulnerable with our Lord is so crucial to our ministry because at the end of the day, we depend on God for everything, and we draw all our strength from Him.

Bishop Chylinski has instilled the love of God in us so that we can be vulnerable to trust Him and to follow Him.”

Bishop Chylinski’s prayer life also has influenced the seminarians.

Continued on page 61

As part of a tradition at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, thenBishop-Elect Chylinski and seminarians visited Villa St. Joseph and Little Sisters of the Poor- Holy Family Home, Dec. 2023, to sing Christmas carols for the residents. (St. Charles Borromeo Seminary)

The Church of Saint Timothy and the Church of Saint Bartholomew, Philadelphia, extend prayerful best wishes to Bishops Keith J. Chylinski, Christopher R. Cooke, and Efren V. Esmilla, on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

+ Reverend Michael S. Olivere, Pastor

‘He’s a Man of Tremendous Virtue, Comes From His Deep Prayer Life’

Continued from page 59

“He’s obviously a man of deep prayer and deep devotion to the Sacred Heart, and he inspires us to follow his example,” Zielinski said. “He calls the best out of us, and you don’t want to disappoint him because he is such a father figure.”

“The thing that I hope to take from him into my own priesthood is his devotion to the Sacred Heart,” Davis added. “He leads First Friday worship, and I don’t think there’s a homily that goes by where he’s not referencing the Sacred Heart. He’s a living witness to the Sacred Heart of Christ.”

¢HANDS ON LEADERSHIP

Bishop Cooke’s leadership style is evident in how he manages his numerous responsibilities as Dean of Men at the Seminary.

“He’s just a natural born leader,” Cole said. “When something’s placed in front of him, it always gets done in a timely manner. He’s very good at delegating to get everything done right.”

“He’s able to pick seminarians who he knows would do well at a particular task so that we can better provide for the house,” Tueste added. “He’s also able to pick seminarians who can grow in certain areas and push them a little bit. His capacity to delegate is something that’s impressed me.”

A recent weekend ski trip to New York with 12 seminarians demonstrated Bishop Cooke’s ability to plan and organize all the details related to the trip.

“He booked the house, he did the shopping, and he prepared all the meals ahead of time,” Cole said. “He would tell us how to make dinner, and he would cook with us. He was obviously overseeing everything.”

Move-in day at the Seminary is another time when the seminarians have witnessed Bishop Cooke’s hands-on leadership.

“He’s there helping us get the rooms together,” Davis said. “It’s not like he’s sitting in the background barking orders. He’s there on the ground with us figuring it out, oftentimes in less-thanideal situations, and we’re getting it done. I love that about him.”

Bishop Cooke also has been involved with preparing for the Seminary’s move to its new location on the campus of Gwynedd Mercy University this summer.

While the seminarians are helping to clean out dorm rooms and put items in storage, Bishop Cooke is working alongside them and organizing the tasks that need to be completed.

“That’s the kind of priest he is,” Davis said. “He’s going to step up and do the work with us. That’s his leader-

ship style. It’s not like he’s above us; he serves with us.”

¢FORMING FUTURE PRIESTS

Bishop Cooke and Tuesta have a unique connection because they both studied engineering in college.

“The training we get as an engineer is to complete tasks and to perform,” Tuesta said. “But the ministry of the priesthood as Bishop Cooke has shown me is not about tasks, but about people. It is more people oriented, and his availability to us is something that I admire, and it’s something that I’m learning to do myself.”

Tuesta also benefitted from having Bishop Cooke as his spiritual director during Pre-Theology.

“I was still learning how to delve deeper into prayer, and he was very patient with me,” he said. “Bishop Cooke was very attentive to how I was praying and how I wasn’t praying. His own experience in prayer helped me grow in mine, so I feel a special connection with him.”

Tuesta added that he wants to emulate Bishop Cooke’s ability to see the big picture rather than focus on individual tasks.

“Because I’m task oriented, I sometimes get too focused on one thing rath-

er than looking at the whole picture,” he said. “Bishop Cooke sees the overall picture, especially when it comes to juggling all the events at the Seminary and the different requests from seminarians or dioceses. He’s able to provide the best solution to whatever is being requested.”

Bishop Cooke has served as Davis’ formation director, and he not only encourages the seminarians to develop a strong prayer life, but he also demonstrates it in his daily routine.

“He’s a man of tremendous human virtue, and that comes from his deep prayer life,” Davis said. “I see him in the back of the Chapel every morning praying or just being still before the Blessed Sacrament, which is a tremendous witness to me, just knowing that he’s receiving whatever he needs from the Lord.”

Cole emphasized how Bishop Cooke has been a role model for living a joyfilled life as a priest.

“He’s so in love with what he’s doing that he gives me hope that there is so much joy in the priesthood,” Cole said. “His happiness shows me that as a priest there’s so much joy and the Lord does so much in priests’ lives.”

Then-Father Cooke (center) enjoys a skiing trip on Gore Mountain in the Adirondack Mountains alongside seminarians Roberrt Rienzo and Tim Banach during President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 2022. (St. Charles Borromeo Seminary)

THE CLERGY AND FAITHFUL OF THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL THE MOTHER CHURCH OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA AND THE SHRINE OF SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL EIGHTEENTH STREET AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKWAY PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

GIVE THANKS TO ALMIGHTY GOD AND ASK THE HEAVENLY INTERCESSION OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES, AND SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL, VIRGIN UPON OUR NEWLY ORDAINED BISHOPS

The Most Reverend Keith J. Chylinski

The Most Reverend Christopher R. Cooke The Most Reverend Efren V. Esmilla Auxiliary Bishops to the Archbishop of Philadelphia

REVEREND GERALD DENNIS GILL, RECTOR March 7, 2024

Congratulations!

The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart

extend our prayerful best wishes to Bishops

Keith J. Chylinski

Christopher R. Cooke and Efren V. Esmilla on your appointment as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia